Bully
by Snowcrystal-princess
Summary: When the new school year begins, what happens when Joey becomes the victim of severe school bullying? How will Joey handle it? How will it affect Liv, Maddie, Diggie and everyone else?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a story I wrote, which would work great if "Liv and Maddie" were on a more teen aimed network, such as ABC Family or MTV, rather than The Disney Channel - so stating that, please be aware that the language used in this story is more on the teen level, than the G-rated, Disney channel, children's level. This is a story that focuses on what really occurs to teens these days - bullying. I hope you enjoy the first part of this story._

* * *

I _._

It was a Friday evening - late, when Joey angrily walked through the door of his home. He was drenched in water, cold, humiliated and upset. He heard the voices of Liv, Maddie, Diggie and his parents' in the kitchen. He didn't feel like being bothered with them, not tonight, not after what he went through. He just felt like going upstairs to his room, hiding himself there and crying out his anger, his frustrations, his hurt and new-found depression - and that's exactly what he did as he rushed upstairs to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

 _ **Later ~ 7 P.M.  
**_

Liv, Maddie and their parents', along with Diggie were in the kitchen, sharing in Maddie's ecstatic news about how she aced the first test she was given of the new school year.

"And so there I was," Maddie said with a full smile, "still staring at my perfect "A" Biology test, thinking - I really aced this."

Maddie laughed happily.

"Bam-what!" Maddie said loudly with excitement, with light laughter from Diggie.

"Well, I'm glad this first week has been going great for all of you." Karen Rooney said with a pleasant smile. "Oh, I can't believe this is you and Liv's senior year. It seems like just yesterday I was just powdering your baby bottoms with Johnson and Johnson."

Liv widened her eyes and stared at her mother as if she's nuts.

"Yeah mom, thank you for that very embarrassing memory." Liv said lightly with laughter from Diggie and Maddie.

At that moment, Joey walked in the kitchen, heading straight for the fridge, avoiding everyone, his sunshades on, hiding his bruised, black eye. Karen, Pete, Diggie, Liv and Maddie stared at Joey observantly.

"Hey Joey, we were wondering when you would come down," Pete Rooney said. "how was your first full week back at school?"

"Fine, just fine dad." Joey said in a cold, bitter tone.

Joey grabbed a bottled water out of the fridge and turned on his heels to walk back out of the kitchen, but was stopped by Karen stepping in front of him.

Karen stared at Joey suspiciously.

"Joey honey, are you alright?" Karen asked.

Joey sighed and looked down briefly at his bottled water and nodded.

"Yeah mom, I'm fine. Leave me alone." Joey said in a low, bitter tone before walking around Karen.

Karen stared at him, slightly baffled. Liv grabbed Joey's arm lightly.

"Joey," Liv said, "Are you sure you're -"

Joey angrily yanked his arm away and pushed Liv away.

"I SAID I'm fine!" Joey yelled, his voice slightly cracking. Joey was seconds away from breaking down into sobs again. It didn't take much this night to completely break Joey down emotionally.

Maddie frowned at Joey, confused.

"Whoa, calm down Joey," Maddie said lightly.

"Oh go to hell." Joey said before walking to the door.

Pete quickly walked over to Joey and stepped in front of him.

"Hey, wait a minute," Pete said firmly. "Now I don't know what's going on with you tonight but you are NOT to use that language again, alright?"

Joey sighed angrily.

"Whatever, can I leave now?" Joey asked angrily.

Pete frowned at Joey, growing angry himself at Joey's attitude.

"No," Pete said sharply. "You know what, NO you can NOT -"

Joey sucked his teeth and sighed again angrily.

"WHY?!" Joey yelled, his voice beginning to crack even more, slowly revealing the emotion he was feeling inside. "Look, I'm SORRY for using the swear word ok, now can you all LEAVE me alone?!"

Joey looked away as tears streamed down from under his sunshades, it was tears that Pete, Liv and Maddie could clearly see. Maddie stared at Joey with concern.

"Joey you're crying, what's wrong?" Maddie asked.

Joey shook his head and quickly wiped his streaming tears away, before moving around his father.

"I'm not going to say it again, I don't want to talk to any of you." Joey snapped in a lightly tearful voice, before storming out the kitchen.

Pete stared at Karen, trying to decipher from her Joey's behavior.

"Ok, that was WEIRD." Diggie said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, I think it's safe to say, his first week obviously didn't go well." Karen said with a shake of her head, tossing a dish towel in her hand across the table in frustration.

"I think I should go up and talk to him, find out what's going on." Pete said.

"No, dad," Maddie said with a slight shake of her own head. "Maybe can I talk to him? He might not feel like telling what's wrong with him to his parents' but maybe he might open up to me."

Pete sighed and nodded, too overwhelmed by Joey's behavior to even say anything else.

* * *

Joey walked into his room, slamming his door behind him. He dropped down beside his bed and hugged his knees up to his chest, feeling tears cloud his eyes. He felt broken, he felt helpless. The first week of school was horrible for him, devastating in fact. What he went through during that first week made him feel like never returning back to school again. As he thought back on the day, the worst day of the entire week for him, he broke into sobs, crying more than he did before, when he first entered his bedroom. The more he cried, the more he felt hurt, emotionally and mentally. He had an entire school year to get through and already the first week of school was kicking his ass, giving him a more crueler, harsher dose of reality, reality when it came to how high school _really_ was. What was he going to do? How was he going to cope?


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: The language in this story is a little strong for younger readers but is used to show the realistic reality of school bullying, whether it may be junior high, high school or even elementary school. So please be advised, strong language is only used to show the reality of school bullying and the victims who endure it._**

* * *

 **~ The Next Morning ~**

Joey awakened the next morning and walked downstairs, seeing Liv, Maddie, Parker and his parents down in the kitchen, having their weekend breakfast. Joey walked in and immediately, Liv, Maddie, Parker and Joey's parents looked up at him, looking and wondering if they would get the Joey they had the previous night. Joey slowly walked over to the table almost hesitantly and sighed, his sunglasses still on.

"Um, I - I wanted to apologize for how I was towards you all yesterday. I'm sorry." Joey said in a low tone.

Pete Rooney raised an eyebrow and stared at Joey with sternness.

"What's with the sunshades?" Pete asked.

Joey looked down with upset. He didn't want to take his sunshades off, because then they would know, they would _see_ the truth, but didn't they deserve to know the truth anyway? Joey slowly took off his sunshades revealing his black, swollen, bruised eye. Maddie gasped loudly with shock at the sight of Joey's eye.

"Oh my God." Liv said with an almost speechless stare.

"WOW, who gave you the shiner?!" Parker said with slightly widened eyes.

Karen quickly jumped up, walked over to Joey and lightly touched his eye with strong concern.

"Joey, WHAT happened?"

Joey looked down and frowned briefly.

"I - I was in a fight - at school." Joey said in a low tone as he moved his head away from Karen's touch.

At that moment, Diggie walked in, spinning a basketball on his finger.

"Alright," Diggie said with a smile. "I'm ready for the game Liv, ready to go?"

Liv shook her head at Diggie.

"Um - give me a moment Diggie." Liv said, still keeping her eyes on Joey.

Diggie glanced over at Joey and took notice of Joey's big, black eye and frowned.

"Whoa, who gave you the black eye Joey?" Diggie asked.

Joey sighed with a brief close of his eyes. With a shake of his head, Joey walked away, heading towards the back door.

"It was just a fight, I don't want to get into it alright?" Joey said.

Karen walked after Joey, grabbing his arm. Joey yanked away quickly with a light, painful wince, a painful wince that went unheard by Karen or anyone else in the kitchen.

"Joey WAIT." Karen said strongly. "TALK to us, what was this fight about - what happened? Why -"

"Mom, I DON'T want to TALK about it alright?!" Joey yelled with anger, emotion slowly beginning to make it's presence known in his voice.

"Why DON'T you want to talk about it Joey?" Pete asked sternly. "You know, you came in last night with this - bad attitude, you come in here this morning, apologizing and then showing us your swollen, black eye and telling us you were in a fight and then not wanting us to find out what the fight was about - Joey, what is GOING ON with you? Because whatever it is, I don't LIKE it -"

Joey sighed and turned and looked at Pete with anger. Why were they pressing him on this? Why couldn't they just leave it alone? Leave him alone?

"Joey, if there's something going on at school," Maddie said, "you know you can talk to us. We're your family."

"Yeah, did a girl give you the shiner and that's why you're embarrassed to tell us?" Parker said with a humorous smile.

Joey stared at Parker with rage.

"NO!" Joey yelled with fierce anger. "Just LEAVE ME ALONE -"

"Joey," Pete said strongly, "you have five minutes to tell us what happened with this fight or I'm going to your school and I'm finding out from the principal and your teachers -"

Joey frowned with anger.

"Dad, why can't you just let this be?!" Joey yelled angrily.

"Ok, fine suit yourself." Karen said with an angry nod. "First thing Monday, we're going to your school -"

"NO!" Joey yelled, his voice starting to crack with emotion. "No, alright! I was beaten up by three seniors ALRIGHT?!"

"WHAT?" Liv asked.

"Oh my God, what three seniors Joey?" Maddie asked.

Joey stared at the kitchen table, tears slowly filling his eyes, but not large enough for the others to notice. Joey sighed slightly with a brief close of his eyes.

"JOEY, what three seniors?" Pete asked strongly. "What are their names?"

"Zak Michigan, Aaron Goodwell and Nick Hopewell." Joey said in a low tone.

"I know them." Diggie said. "They're in chem class with me. They're pretty rough - especially when they're hanging around Brad Wilmer and Todd Anderson."

"I want to hear the exact story Joey." Karen said with a troubled frown. "How did this fight start?"

Joey sighed again, he remained silent for a few seconds before responding.

"They were waiting for me by my locker after my final class." Joey said. "They had been bullying me all week -"

"All WEEK?" Parker asked, slightly stunned.

Joey nodded lightly.

"They had been locking me in lockers." Joey said, "blocking me from going down the hallways to get to class, stealing money from my locker and then yesterday - they waited at my locker and started calling me names, we got into a verbal, heated exchange of insults and that lead to them dragging me to the boys bathroom and..."

~Flashback~

 _Zak and Aaron dragged Joey roughly into the boys bathroom as Joey fought and struggled to get free from their grasp. A laughing Nick followed behind._

 _Zak, Aaron and Nick were three tall, athletic, seventeen year olds, who already became popular with the jocks and the cheerleaders, just in their first week back at Ridgewood. Zak with his short, black, spiked hair, bright, green eyes and smooth, white skin, slightly resembling a younger version of Tom Cruise. Aaron a slightly short, slender white teen, with a buzz cut hairstyle, bright, blue eyes, resembling a young Matt Damon - and Nick, a Mark Wahlberg type of teen, built in the arms and chest, short, dark brown hair, cold black eyes, a hint of a Boston accent.  
_

 _"Look guys, please let me go alright?" Joey said in a nervous tone. "You don't have to do this -"_

 _"No, you're right, we don't HAVE to do it," Zak said coldly, "but we want to."_

 _Aaron and Nick laughed heartily as Zak roughly pushed Joey hard up against the wall behind him. As Joey began backing up into a corner, Aaron, Nick and Zak walked closer over towards him._

 _"Please, look," Joey said nervously. "can't you go pick on someone else? Why me huh?"_

 _"Because you're the only four eyed faggot in this school, asshole." Nick said with laughter from Aaron and Zak._

 _Joey stared at them with anger._

 _"My dad is the basketball coach here." Joey said. "I can just tell him about you three and you all will get expelled."_

 _"Ooh threats." Aaron said with laughter from Nick._

 _Zak stared at Joey with rage. Zak walked closer to Joey and grabbed Joey by the shirt, pulling Joey towards him roughly. Joey gasped loudly with fear._

 _"You threatening me dip shit?" Zak said in a sinister tone._

 _Joey's eyes filled lightly with tears of nervousness._

 _"If it's one thing I hate, Rooney," Zak said, "it's threats."_

 _Immediately Zak punched Joey hard in the stomach, making Joey yell out in pain and drop to his knees, while holding his stomach. Zak snapped his fingers._

 _"Aaron, Nick, do work." Zak said._

 _Immediately Aaron and Nick began punching and kicking Joey repeatedly as he was on his knees on the floor, all while Zak stood back watching, watching almost with a pleasured stare. Joey tried to block the kicks and punches that he was receiving, Joey even tried to fight back as much as he could, but it was hard when it was coming from two people at once and with rapid, hard force._

 _"Please no! No, stop please!" Joey yelled in a voice that was growing weaker with each hit and kick that he took._

 _As Aaron grabbed Joey by the back of his hair and yanked his head back, Nick punched Joey hard across the eye. With a few more hard kicks in Joey's stomach, back and arms, Zak walked back over to Aaron and Nick and nodded, staring at Joey as if Joey was a vicious, disgusting dog that needed to be euthanized._

 _"Alright, enough." Zak said._

 _Joey lied on the floor, in a curled up position, holding his stomach, his nose bleeding, his eye glasses broken, his left eye bloody. Zak knelt down beside Joey and smiled devilishly at him._

 _"Now, the next time you'll think twice about talking shit to us, doucheclown." Zak said. "We're bigger than you, we're better than you, and we're badder than you and there's not a damn thing your damn father is going to do about it - and if you tell anybody about this, we'll beat your ass so bad, you'll be in the hospital for a YEAR."_

 _As Joey, lied his head on the hard floor of the bathroom, his left eye barely able to open from the hits he received, Joey was too weak to move, to even look at Zak, Aaron or Nick, too weak and much too afraid to even give a response._

 _Aaron and Nick laughed. As Zak stood back up to his feet, Zak gave one, final insult to Joey by spitting on him, before he, Aaron and Nick turned and walked out the bathroom._

* * *

 _Joey lied there on the floor of the bathroom, in absolute pain, and as he slowly got to his feet, his felt tremendous pain swirl around in his head. As he successfully was standing back on his feet, he limped over to the bathroom sink and stared into the bathroom mirror, staring at his bloody eyes and nose. Tears clouded Joey's eyes and within seconds, Joey lowered his head and broke into severe tears. He dropped back down to the floor and covered his face, crying more, crying tears of hurt, tears of upset, tears of a depression he had gained in just that three minute beat down he suffered through._

~End Flashback~

Joey sat down at the kitchen table, tears streaming.

"And it didn't end there." Joey said in a low, tearful voice to his family and Diggie.

~Flashback~

 _Joey slowly limped down the street, wheeling his bicycle with him. He was too much in pain to even ride his bike home. As he walked, his mind flooded with thoughts of why, why him? why this year? His sophomore year? Joey had no time to think on much else as Zak, Aaron and Nick came cruising up the street in their Lincoln Navigator beside Joey. Nick rolled down his front, passenger side window and smiled over at Joey._

 _"Hey fuck face, where ya going?" Nick said with laughter from Aaron and Zak._

 _Joey sighed with a brief close of his eyes. Good God, not again, didn't they get enough fun beating the hell out of him in the bathroom? Now here they were again. Joey decided to not retort back with words this time but with silence - an ignoring type of silence. The back car window rolled down and Aaron stuck his head out._

 _"Hey, Joey," Aaron said, "can I borrow those big ass coke glasses you have on your face?"_

 _Aaron, Nick and Zak burst into loud laughter. Tears filled Joey's eyes, tears of hurt. The beating he endured hurt, yes it did, but at this moment, he was feeling even more pain from mere words. However, Joey only had three more blocks until he reached home. He just had to ignore them for three, more blocks._

 _"Oh come on douchebag." Zak said with loud laughter. "What's wrong? Did that ass whipping we give you make you deaf or something?"_

 _As Aaron and Nick laughed at Zak's horrible comment and Joey ignored it, Zak grew increasingly angry. Zak didn't like to be ignored, he hated to be ignored. Zak looked back at Aaron and whispered something to him and within seconds, Aaron quickly threw a large amount of icy, cold water from a blue bucket onto Joey, dousing him completely, making him soaking wet._

 _With loud laughter from Aaron, Nick and Zak, Joey stopped in his tracks, and frowned deeply with a brief close of his eyes. He quickly felt the coldness from the water seep into his skin and bones. Joey looked at them with rage while wiping streaming water from his face._

 _"WHY ARE YOU THREE DOING THIS TO ME?!" Joey yelled, tears slowly making its presence known in his voice._

 _"Because the mere sight of you makes me sick, Rooney." Zak said with laughter from Aaron and Nick once again._

 _Before Joey could respond, Zak sped off down the street._

~End Flashback ~

* * *

Joey sighed with a shake of his head.

"And so that's what happened." Joey said with a faint, brief frown. "Like I said, it's been happening all week but yesterday, it grew worst."

Pete shook his head in anger. Maddie stared at Joey with lightly tearful eyes. Maddie lightly touched Joey's shoulder.

"Oh Joey, I'm so sorry this happened to you." Maddie said. "You should've told us -"

"Well Monday morning, I am going UP to that school and we are putting an end to this." Pete interrupted strongly.

"Dad NO," Joey said. "Please -"

"What do you mean no?" Karen asked. "Joey, why not -"

"Because he's only going to make it worst mom." Joey said strongly. "You and or dad goes up there and handles this and that will only make them bully me more. Please don't go up there -"

"Joey, these guys beat you up in the bathroom until you were bloody." Liv said. "What should mom and dad do? Just forget that and act like it never happened -"

"No, I can deal with them myself." Joey said. 'I can handle it -"

"It doesn't sound like you've been handling it so far." Parker said with a slight shrug.

"PARKER." Maddie warned.

"He's telling the truth," Diggie said. "Joey, you can't deal with bullies like these on your own -"

Joey stood up quickly and with light panic.

"Look, MOM, DAD - EVERYONE " Joey said, "I will deal with this - PLEASE -"

"NO Joey!" Pete yelled, which was quite ironic for Pete Rooney. Very rarely did he yell with such an anger as he had at that moment. "Now, what if next time these guys KILLS you! This has to be nipped in the bud NOW -"

"DAD PLEASE!" Joey yelled in a now teary voice. Please don't -"

Joey stopped and could no longer hold in his emotions, as he broke into light sobs. As Karen took steps over to him, Joey backed away quickly.

"No, no don't." Joey said between tears. "Mom, dad - everyone please don't do this. It's only going to make things worst. Please."

Pete sighed angrily with a shake of his head.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Pete asked angrily. "What Joey? Let these guys continue torturing you?"

"No, I'll deal with it dad." Joey said in a now tearful, shaky voice. "Ok, please? PLEASE."

Joey quickly turned and walked out the kitchen.

Joey had no real idea how he would handle it, he just knew he didn't want his parents' nor his family doing so. To be quite honest, Joey had no idea how he would even handle the following school week nor the following weeks after that to come. At that moment, Joey was going through a range of emotions that left him unsure of exactly _what_ to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Joey walked up to the double doors of the school the next morning, later than his sisters. He didn't feel like having them walk him to school. He didn't want to feel like he needed his sisters' to protect him because he didn't - or at least he thought he didn't. As he took a deep breath before entering inside the building, he hoped his bullies weren't waiting inside, around his locker, waiting for him like he may have been an endangered prey. As he walked through the doors of his high school, he indeed didn't encounter his bullies but something far different - something weird. Joey found the hallway crowded with students - students talking with other students, students at their lockers, students walking up and down the hallways and as Joey made his way to his locker, he found each and every student staring at him, some were pointing and laughing among their friends. Maddie and Diggie who had just come around the corner, quickly rushed up to Joey before he could open his locker. As Joey was about to press the locker handle open, Maddie ran up and slammed her hand up against his locker quickly.

"Uh, Joey, come on, we need to um - show you something in the gym." Maddie said.

Joey frowned at Maddie briefly.

"Uh ok, let me just get my books for Math class first." Joey said as he tried to press down the locker handle again.

Diggie snatched Joey's hand away from the locker handle quickly.

"Um, you can do that later ok?"

Joey stared at Diggie with suspicion, Diggie was hiding something from him - but what he had no clue. Joey's suspicions were further heightened as he saw two students walk past him and burst into laughter while staring at him. Joey sighed.

"What's going on guys?" Joey asked with agitation.

Maddie frowned, mentally contemplating whether she should tell Joey the truth or not, knowing the truth would hurt him - but how much she had no clue. Maddie shook her head.

"Nothing, we just - Diggie or I will come back and get your Math books later for you ok?" Maddie said.

Joey scoffed and shook his head.

"No I need them now Maddie." Joey said. "I have math class in an hour."

Joey tried to push her aside.

"Joey no look, get your books later." Maddie urged. "Joey -"

"- Come on Maddie no," Joey interrupted. "Let me get in my locker." Joey persisted.

"Joey wait -" Diggie himself urged, trying to pull Joey away from the locker.

Joey sighed and pushed Diggie away and quickly opened the locker. What Joey saw inside left him speechless, stunned - shocked. His locker was stuffed with flyer, flyers that had a fake, Photoshopped image of him kissing another outcast, nerd student of the school. Under the image were the words: "JOEY ROONEY - THE SCHOOL'S BIGGEST FAGGOT". Joey snatched one of the flyers from his locker and stared at it with big, tearful eyes. Diggie and Maddie stared at Joey with sorrow and sympathy.

"Who - did THEY do this?" Joey asked in a low, tearful whisper.

Maddie nodded as tears streamed.

"I'm so sorry Joey." Maddie said tearfully. "It's why I didn't want you to open the locker -"

"This isn't TRUE!" Joey yelled through tears. "Oh my God, they made this up!"

"I know!" Maddie said with emotion. "I know, look, we need to take this to principal -"

"Is that why everyone was looking at me weird?!" Joey asked tearfully with anger. "Has the whole SCHOOL seen this?!"

Diggie nodded, not really able to emotionally say anything but a few words.

"Yeah, there were flyers all around the school walls this morning when we came." Diggie said in a low tone. "It took Liv, Maddie and I an hour and a half to get them all down."

Joey slammed the locker shut and threw the flyer down to the floor before turning and running away.

"Joey wait!" Maddie yelled.

As Joey quickly and angrily walked through the hallways of the school, he passed numerous students - all of whom were staring at him while talking among their friends and about to or three who were laughing at him. His face was red with humiliation and embarrassment. However his humiliation heightened as three, other, high school jocks who were friends with Aaron, Zak and Nick stood feet away from Joey laughing loudly at him.

"FAG!" The three jocks yelled in unison, sending some in the hallway into loud laughter.

Joey stopped and closed his eyes with a hurt frown. He quickly ran into the bathroom, locked the bathroom door and leaned up against the bathroom door, closing his eyes. He could hear the loud laughter from the students from outside the door. The laughter felt like a million knives piercing his heart, _killing_ him. Joey paced back and forth in the bathroom, his mind racing with thoughts, numerous thoughts - thoughts like how could he ever walk the hallways of his high school again? Sure he knew, Diggie knew, Maddie knew and Willow and Artie and Liv knew that he wasn't gay but to an entire school of young, immature students who didn't even know Joey well enough, rumors were just as factual as truth.

How could he ever walk the hallways of his high school again? With everyone believing lies over truth? Joey leaned up against the sink and felt the walls closing in on him. All he could hear in his mind was the laughter of everyone, he kept replaying it in his mind until it made him sick. Joey closed his eyes as tears streamed. This wasn't going to stop, his bullies weren't going to _ever_ stop coming after him until they were sure Joey was permanently ruined. Panic began sweeping through Joey as he heard a few jocks outside the bathroom spewing insults at him while laughing. Joey couldn't take it, he had never been bullied before - _ever_ and now he was - and he was only in his second year of high school. Was this what he had to look forward to for the two more years to go? The depression and panic built up so strong in Joey that at that moment, he acted on impulse - pure impulse. Especially knowing how at that moment, he could feel his chest tightening, to him, the room appeared to be spinning. It felt in fact, as if he could hardly breathe.

He quickly walked to the bathroom door and unlocked it. He then rushed into one of the bathroom stalls and as fast as he could with tears streaming, he unbuckled his belt with heavy sobs. He then pulled off his backpack, unzipped it, took out his pen and notebook and began scribbling inside the notebook.

* * *

Maddie and Diggie met up with Liv back at Joey's locker, after looking around the school for him.

"Did you find him?" Maddie asked with slight panic.

Liv shook her head with sorrow.

"No I checked in the science lab," Liv replied, "in the gym. I called dad though. He and mom are on their way up here from mom's doctor's appointment."

Maddie closed her eyes with a frown and a shake of his head.

"God I should've went after him." Maddie said before breaking into tears.

As Liv went over and hugged Maddie, they heard a loud, female scream coming from around the corner of the hallway.

"What was that?!" Liv asked with panic.

"Sounded like it came from the other side of the hallway, come on." Maddie said before taking off running, with Liv and Diggie following.

* * *

As Diggie, Liv and Maddie rushed around the long hallway that led to the other side of the school, they saw a crowd gathered around the outside of the boy's bathroom. As Liv, Maddie and Diggie made their way through the crowd and rushed into the bathroom that also had a crowd inside, they saw Joey, his eyes closed, hanging from the inside of a bathroom stall wall hook by his belt that was wrapped around his neck. There was a note on the floor under his feet. Maddie screamed loudly.

"OH MY GOD!" Liv yelled tearfully.

With utter shock, Diggie quickly grabbed Joey's body and unhooked him from the bathroom stall door and lied him on the floor. Maddie quickly scooped Joey's body up in her arms.

"I'll - I'll go get help from the office!" Liv said tearfully before running out of the bathroom.

Maddie shook Joey lightly while Diggie quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1.

"Joey?" Maddie called through tears. "Joey? Joey please wake up, please?"

Shaking Joey was working to no avail as he lied in her arms unresponsive. She shook him harder.

"JOEY? JOEY, WAKE UP?" Maddie called in a stronger voice through tears.

Maddie broke into more tears as he remained unresponsive.

"JOEY?!" Maddie yelled through tears.

Neither she nor Diggie were sure whether Joey was still alive but God how both hoped he was. Joey couldn't die, Maddie needed her brother to not die...


	4. Chapter 4

As Liv and Maddie paced the waiting room of the hospital with Karen, Pete, Parker and Diggie, all of their hearts were filled with fear, fear and heartbreak. None of them knew how Joey was, if he was still alive or if - no, they couldn't think about it, they _refused_ to think that Joey was - that Joey had - _died._ However, as the doctor walked in to the room, the look on her face said it all and it was enough to cause Karen to gasp.

"How is he?" Pete asked with a look of panicked fear, his voice quivering with emotion. "Is he ok?"

The doctor frowned with emotion, visibly trying to brace herself to reveal the news she discovered while in Joey's room.

"Mr. Rooney, you might want to take a seat." The doctor said sympathetically.

"No! How IS he?!" Karen shouted through tears. "Please! Please just tell me - tell me he's ok."

The doctor glanced down with a look of sadness and they all knew.

"I'm sorry," the doctor said, "we did everything we could but we just couldn't revive him. I'm sorry."

Karen shook her head repeatedly as tears clouded her eyes.

One by one, every member who played a prevalent role in Joey's life broke into emotion in some way at that moment as the doctor exited the room. Karen, Liv and Maddie were almost completely inconsolable. It would be a day that would be permanently etched in their minds forever.

* * *

 _"He was always such a nice boy..._ _The quiet one with good intentions..._

 _He was down with his brother, respectful..._ _to his mother..._ _A good boy..._

 _But good don't get attention..."_

* * *

As Liv, Maddie, Diggie, Parker, Karen, Pete and many others stood around Lake Emerson Cemetery, on a cold, cloudy and rainy Friday, they listened as a minister spoke the biblical, parting words over Joey's beautiful, white, closed coffin. Nearby stood a tall, stand-up, color photo of a happy, smiling Joey.

"The bible says," the salt and pepper haired, older minister said, "to be absent from the body, is to be present with the lord. I do believe that is true today for young Joey. Today we commend his body up to the lord, our God. Now and forever more shall he remain in the everlastingly heavenly presence of the lord."

* * *

 _"One kid with promise...The brightest kid in school, he's not a fool._

 _Reading books 'bout science and smart stuff...It's not enough, no, '_

 _cause smart don't make you cool."_

* * *

As Karen saw the minister close the bible in his hands, she broke into more sobs, sobs that was so heavily shared by others surrounding her - Liv, Maddie, Parker, Pete, even Diggie was seen constantly wiping streaming tears away. As several family members were seen walking up to the coffin, tossing a single rose in their hands onto the lowering coffin, Liv couldn't hold her contained emotions any longer, as she leaned forward and broke into more louder, heavier sobs. Despite both Diggie and Pete hovering around Liv to console her, Liv expressed emotions at that moment was equivalent to a river, unleashed and heavily overflowing.

* * *

As Liv, Maddie, Karen, Pete and Parker returned back to their home, they found that it didn't even feel like home anymore, in fact it felt quite empty, empty and hollow without the sounds of Joey's cute but squeaky voice filling the living room and the kitchen of the house. As they all sat in the living room, they all remained silent, trying to mentally comprehend what they had just endured in the past, few hours.

"It was a nice service," Karen said in a low, still broken voice. "I think Joey would've liked it - I mean I hope so."

Pete took hold of Karen's hand as she looked away from everyone, trying her best to fight back tears but failing at it.

"I'm sure he would have." Liv said in a light, tearful voice. "I know he would've enjoyed Artie's speech."

"I miss him already." Parker said in a low, tearful voice. "I miss -

Parker stopped as he saw Maddie jump up and dash up the stairs.

"What?" Parker asked, confused. "What did I say wrong?"

Pete shook his head.

"Nothing son." Pete replied. "Maddie's just - she's still trying to process this like the rest of us, you know?"

Parker sighed and nodded as he leaned forward and rested is head in his hands, closing his eyes with a look of grief, grief that he at his young age was trying very hard to process through himself.

* * *

As Liv walked into the upstairs hallway, she knew exactly where to go to find Maddie - Joey's room, and as Liv walked in, she saw Maddie pacing back and forth, clinging tightly to her chest, Joey's white, skater cat shirt to her heart while crying.

"Maddie, how are you holding up?" Liv asked.

Maddie looked at her with her red, crying eyes, eyes that revealed so much.

"How do you think Liv?" Maddie said with her a tearful voice.

Liv walked over to Maddie and hugged her. That hug did little to comfort Maddie at that moment.

"I know it's hard Maddie." Liv said, her own voice beginning to reveal emotion. "I miss him too. I - don't know what I can do to make the hurt go away but - "

"I just - I wish I had done more for him Liv!" Maddie said through tears. "I mean, he told us he could handle it, but why - why didn't we step in and help him anyway? Why - why wouldn't he let us help him?! I just - I wish we had done more!"

"I know," Maddie begun, "we should've -"

"Oh God Liv," Maddie said through tears. "Can you imagine what his last thoughts were in that bathroom stall? Right before he - right before he hung himself, can you imagine all the sadness he felt? Like he - like had no hope, no way out! Oh God -"

As Maddie stopped and dropped to her knees, breaking into sobs, all Liv could do was drop down beside Maddie and hug her close in her arms as Maddie cried louder.

"I just want him back Liv!" Maddie cried loudly. "I just want him back!"

"I know" Liv said through tears. "I do too."


	5. Chapter 5

As Liv, Maddie, Artie, Willow, Diggie, Pete and many others at Ridgewood High sat in the gymnasium, Karen and Principal Fickman stood in front of a podium and spoke.

"I want to thank you all for coming here today," Principal Fickman spoke. "We here at Ridgewood High have experienced a great loss, the loss of Joey Rooney, a intelligent, bright young man who had still so much life in him left, and who's life was extinguished through the act of severe school bullying. Bullying here at Ridgewood high will not be tolerated and such behavior will be punished to the fullest extent and because so, seniors, Zak Michigan, Aaron Goodwell, and Nick Hopewell have all been expelled."

Several of the students in the gymnasium cheer and and applauded Principal Fickman's statement. "Although them being expelled won't bring back the life of young, Joey Rooney, it will stand as an example of how we will never allow what happened to Joey happen to any other student at Ridgewood High ever again."

As the students in the gymnasium applauded again, their applauding basically did nothing for Karen. After all, these were the same students who saw the incriminating fliers that were posted around the school about Joey and then laughed at Joey upon him rushing off into the boys bathroom and rushing out of the lives of everyone he loved forever. Karen was pretty sure that with the exception of Liv, Maddie, Diggie, Willow and Artie, none of the other students at the school even gave one care about Joey. As Principal Fickman stepped aside for Karen to step up to the podium to speak, Karen closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to compose herself emotionally to speak.

"Tonight," Karen began, "on the front lawn of the school, we're having a candlelight vigil for my son, Joey."

At that moment, Karen had to stop, just to speak her son's name, her now deceased son's name was enough to almost make her collapse into extreme emotion once again. As she pulled a napkin out of her jacket pocket and wiped streaming tears away, she forced to attain the strength she needed to continue to speak.

"It's going to be at six tonight," Karen said though a lightly teary voice. "For all those who wish to come and pay any kind of respects to Joey, you're welcome, thank you."

Before Principal Fickman could say anything else, Karen walked away and walked out of the gymnasium. Just the thought that her son, her oldest son was no longer _alive,_ it wounded her, it wounded her badly. And as she walked out into the hallway and walked up to the locker that belonged to Joey, she could no longer hold her emotions. As she rested her head up against his locker, she broke into heavy sobs. God she missed her son, she missed him so much that it was almost making her sick to the pits of her stomach. She missed his smile, she missed his voice, she missed his hugs, she missed his laugh, she missed _him._

* * *

 _"I wish that I hold you now, I wish that I could touch you now._

 _I wish that I could talk to you, be with you somehow."_

* * *

It was a cool, Friday night when Maddie, Diggie, Parker, Pete, Karen, Artie, Willow, Principal Fickman, Superintendent Kneebauer and other teachers and staff members of Ridgewood High gathered on the front lawn of Ridgewood High with candles and white balloons for Joey's candlelight vigil. They listened as Liv stood behind a podium and sung Sarah Mclachlan's "I Will Remember You." Karen wasn't surprised that the vigil had only brought out about fifty of Ridgewood High's students, as she had thought earlier in the gymnasium, not many at Ridgewood cared about Joey, and the turnout at Joey's vigil proved it. After Liv finished the song, she smiled faintly as she wiped streaming tears away.

"I love you Joey," Liv said through a tearful voice. "We all do, we always will."

As Parker walked up to the podium, he gave a brief but warm hug to Liv.

"My name is Parker," Parker began. "I'm Joey's younger brother. I miss Joey so much. I still miss my big brother so much. I miss us running around the house, playing around like we used to do. I miss his crazy jokes, I miss everything about him."

Parker swallowed hard, trying to compress his emotions, emotions that were displaying themselves through big clouds of tears in his eyes.

"You see Joey wasn't just my big brother, he was my best friend, and I miss him so much. I'd give anything just to have him back."

At that moment, Parker found it hard to speak another word as he broke into light sobs and was comforted by Liv as he walked away from the podium.

* * *

As Maddie stood in front of the podium, she constantly wiped streaming tears away, she was struggling to find the strength to speak the words that were deep within her.

"Joey, I wish we could all just have you back here." Maddie said through severe tears. "I wish we had been there for you in the way that you needed and that's the guilt that we're - that I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life and I am so sorry. I'm so sorry Joey. I'm so sorry that because of us not helping you, you lost your life. I'm so sorry."

As Maddie lowered her head and broke into loud, uncontrollable sobs, Karen and Pete walked up to her and hugged her close to them, both Karen and Pete finding themselves in sobs themselves.

* * *

 _"I wanna run...I want to hide...I wanna tear down the walls that hold me inside._

 _I wanna reach out, and touch the flame...where the streets have no name."_

* * *

As Karen stepped up to the microphone that rested on the podium, she felt just as overwhelmed with emotion as Maddie was.

"Now," Karen said with a tearful, unstable voice of her own. "We're going to have a moment of silence for -"

Karen stopped as she saw, behind Diggie, Willow and the fifty others who came to Joey's vigil - lit candles, lit candles from several, upon several, upon several other students of Ridgewood High. They had come, shockingly they had _all_ come, to pay respects, to pay tribute to Joey. As Liv, Maddie, Pete, Parker, Diggie and the fifty others turned and saw all of the other Ridgewood High students walking towards them, not only with lit candles in hand but also with white balloons in hand as well. They had all come to join in participation at the vigil, Karen looked with tearful, touched eyes.

"My God, they came." Karen said through tearful eyes. "They all came for him."

With a touched expression of emotion, Liv smiled weakly as she wiped streaming tears away.

"Thank you all for coming." Liv said tearfully. "My brother, Joey, he would be so moved to see how many people truly did love him. Please join in, in a moment of silence, as we release our balloons to the sky - for Joey."

"For Joey," everyone there at the vigil said.

As a ave of silence swept the front lawn of Ridgewood High, every person there released their balloons and as if in a signifying union, all the balloons slowly floated up high, towards the night's sky.

"Mom, do you think Joey can see all of this tonight?" Maddie asked Karen tearfully. I mean do you think he's watching this vigil tonight, from where he is?"

Karen hugged Maddie close and glanced up at the sky. She stared with surprise at what she saw and smiled, once again becoming filled with emotion over what her eyes were seeing.

"Yeah honey I do," Karen replied tearfully. "Just look up, see?"

As Maddie looked up at the sky, she couldn't believe her eyes. The dark, gray clouds that covered the night's sky at the beginning of the vigil had suddenly moved out of sight, as the balloons floated higher and higher in elevation. The night sky was now clear, clear and starry blue. As Maddie frowned with her own emotion building up once again, she smiled as she wiped streaming tears away.

"Yeah mom, I see." Maddie said tearfully. "I do. We love you Joey, we'll always love you."

* * *

 _~ The End ~_


End file.
